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Say what?! ☕ This national study ranked Houston as the worst coffee city in the US

Customers pick up their drinks at a Starbucks retail location, Wednesday, June 28, 2023, in Seattle. Part of the company's goals is to cut waste, water use and carbon emissions in half by 2030. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) (Lindsey Wasson, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

A national study ranks Houston as the worst coffee city in the U.S.

Yep, you read that right. Even I spat out my coffee when I read the study!

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Clever, a real-estate website, analyzed the top 15 best coffee cities in the U.S. and the 10 worst coffee cities. Houston was ranked No. 1 worst coffee city.

But why?

“The reasons behind this drop are evident. Houston is home to just 4.9 coffee shops per 100,000 residents — a stark contrast to the average city’s 12.6. This represents a 61% shortfall in coffee shops compared to the average city,” the study read.

The study also read that Houston lacks donut shops in the area -- just 0.3 per 100,000 residents. Maybe there’s not enough Shipley’s?

Clever compared the 50 most populous U.S. metro cities across several metrics: the number of coffee shops per 100,000 residents, number of coffee roasters per 100,000 residents, and Google Trends popularity. Sources such as the latest U.S. Census data and the U.S. Bureau for Economic Analysis were also used.

Oh, and if you’re wondering which city is the best coffee city in the U.S.? Portland, Oregon.

“Portland stands out for its eclectic coffee culture, boasting a coffee passion score of 91.9, which surpasses the average city’s score of 78,” the study read. “This places Portland 18% above the study’s average in terms of coffee enthusiasm.”

To read the full study, click here.

Top 5 Best Cities:

  1. Portland, OR
  2. San Jose, CA
  3. San Diego, CA
  4. Denver, CO
  5. San Francisco, CA

Top 5 Worst Cities

  1. Houston, TX
  2. Memphis, TN
  3. Atlanta, GA
  4. San Antonio, TX
  5. Dallas, TX

About the Author

A graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown, Ana moved to H-Town from sunny southern California in 2015. In 2020, she joined the KPRC 2 digital team as an intern. Ana is a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, a catmom of 3, and an aquarium enthusiast. In her spare time, she's an avid video gamer and loves to travel.

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